 |
|
Voyager 2 Proves the Solar System is Squashed
December 11, 2007San Francisco, CA. - NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft has followed its twin Voyager 1 into the solar system's final frontier, a vast region at the edge of our solar system where the solar wind runs up against the thin gas between the stars.
However, Voyager 2 took a different path, entering this region, called the heliosheath, on August 30, 2007. Because Voyager 2 crossed the heliosheath boundary, called the solar wind termination shock, about 10 billion miles away from Voyager 1 and almost a billion miles closer to the sun, it confirmed that our solar system is "squashed" or "dented"- that the bubble carved into interstellar space by the solar wind is not perfectly round. Where Voyager 2 made its crossing, the bubble is pushed in closer to the sun by the local interstellar magnetic field.
"Voyager 2 continues its journey of discovery, crossing the termination shock multiple times as it entered the outermost layer of the giant heliospheric bubble surrounding the Sun and joined Voyager 1 in the last leg of the race to interstellar space." said Voyager Project Scientist Dr. Edward Stone of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.
The solar wind is a thin gas of electrically charged particles (plasma) blown into space by the sun. The solar wind blows in all directions, carving a bubble into interstellar space that extends past the orbit of Pluto. This bubble is called the heliosphere, and Voyager 1 was the first spacecraft to explore its outer layer, when it crossed into the heliosheath in December 2004. As Voyager 1 made this historic passage, it encountered the shock wave that surrounds our solar system called the solar wind termination shock, where the solar wind is abruptly slowed by pressure from the gas and magnetic field in interstellar space.
Even though Voyager 2 is the second spacecraft to cross the shock, it is scientifically exciting for a couple of reasons. The Voyager 2 spacecraft has a working Plasma Science instrument that can directly measure the velocity, density and temperature of the solar wind. This instrument is no longer working on Voyager 1 and estimates of the solar wind speed had to be made indirectly. Secondly, Voyager 1 may have had only a single shock crossing and it happened during a data gap. But Voyager 2 had at least five shock crossings over a couple of days (the shock "sloshes" back and forth like surf on a beach, allowing multiple crossings) and three of them are clearly in the data. They show us an unusual shock.
In a normal shock wave, fast-moving material slows down and forms a denser, hotter region as it encounters an obstacle. However, Voyager 2 found a much lower temperature beyond the shock than was predicted. This probably indicates that the energy is being transferred to cosmic ray particles that were accelerated to high speeds at the shock.
"The important new data describing the termination shock are still being pondered, but it is clear that Voyager has once again surprised us," said Dr. Eric Christian, Voyager Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington.
The two Voyager spacecraft will be the only source of local observations of this distant but highly interesting region for years to come. But in the summer of 2008, NASA will be launching a mission specifically designed to globally image the termination shock and heliosheath remotely from Earth orbit. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), led by Dr. David McComas of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, will use energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) to create all-sky maps at various energies of the interaction of the heliosphere with interstellar space. ENAs are formed when energetic electrically-charged particles "steal" an electron from another particle. Once neutral, they travel straight, unaffected by the solar magnetic field. IBEX will detect some of the particles that happen to be headed towards the Earth, and the number and energy of the particles coming from all different directions will tell us much more about the overall structure of the interaction between the heliosphere and interstellar space.
Results on the Voyager 2 shock crossing from the entire Voyager science team are being presented at the Fall 2007 meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. The Voyagers were built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., which continues to operate both spacecraft.
NASA
The solar wind is a thin gas of electrically charged particles (plasma) blown into space by the sun. The solar wind blows in all directions, carving a bubble into interstellar space that extends past the orbit of Pluto. This bubble is called the heliosphere, and Voyager 1 was the first spacecraft to explore its outer layer, when it crossed into the heliosheath in December 2004. As Voyager 1 made this historic passage, it encountered the shock wave that surrounds our solar system called the solar wind termination shock, where the solar wind is abruptly slowed by pressure from the gas and magnetic field in interstellar space.
Even though Voyager 2 is the second spacecraft to cross the shock, it is scientifically exciting for a couple of reasons. The Voyager 2 spacecraft has a working Plasma Science instrument that can directly measure the velocity, density and temperature of the solar wind. This instrument is no longer working on Voyager 1 and estimates of the solar wind speed had to be made indirectly. Secondly, Voyager 1 may have had only a single shock crossing and it happened during a data gap. But Voyager 2 had at least five shock crossings over a couple of days (the shock "sloshes" back and forth like surf on a beach, allowing multiple crossings) and three of them are clearly in the data. They show us an unusual shock.
In a normal shock wave, fast-moving material slows down and forms a denser, hotter region as it encounters an obstacle. However, Voyager 2 found a much lower temperature beyond the shock than was predicted. This probably indicates that the energy is being transferred to cosmic ray particles that were accelerated to high speeds at the shock.
"The important new data describing the termination shock are still being pondered, but it is clear that Voyager has once again surprised us," said Dr. Eric Christian, Voyager Program Scientist at NASA Headquarters, Washington.
The two Voyager spacecraft will be the only source of local observations of this distant but highly interesting region for years to come. But in the summer of 2008, NASA will be launching a mission specifically designed to globally image the termination shock and heliosheath remotely from Earth orbit. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), led by Dr. David McComas of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, will use energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) to create all-sky maps at various energies of the interaction of the heliosphere with interstellar space. ENAs are formed when energetic electrically-charged particles "steal" an electron from another particle. Once neutral, they travel straight, unaffected by the solar magnetic field. IBEX will detect some of the particles that happen to be headed towards the Earth, and the number and energy of the particles coming from all different directions will tell us much more about the overall structure of the interaction between the heliosphere and interstellar space.
Results on the Voyager 2 shock crossing from the entire Voyager science team are being presented at the Fall 2007 meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. The Voyagers were built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., which continues to operate both spacecraft.
NASA
Interstellar Space Current Events and Interstellar Space News RSS'Ultra-primitive' particles found in comet dust
Dust samples collected by high-flying aircraft in the upper atmosphere have yielded an unexpectedly rich trove of relicts from the ancient cosmos, report scientists from the Carnegie Institution.
IBEX discovers that galactic magnetic fields may control the boundaries of our solar system
The first all-sky maps developed by NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft, the initial mission to examine the global interactions occurring at the edge of the solar system, suggest that the galactic magnetic fields had a far greater impact on Earth's history than previously conceived, and the future of our planet and others may depend, in part, on how the galactic magnetic fields change with time.
Meteorite grains divulge Earth's cosmic roots
The interstellar stuff that became incorporated into the planets and life on Earth has younger cosmic roots than theories predict.
NASA spacecraft ready to explore outer solar system
The first NASA spacecraft to image and map the dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into the cold expanse of space is ready for launch Oct. 19. The two-year mission will begin from the Kwajalein Atoll, a part of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
1843 stellar eruption may be new type of star explosion
Eta Carinae, the galaxy's biggest, brightest and perhaps most studied star after the sun, has been keeping a secret: Its giant outbursts appear to be driven by an entirely new type of stellar explosion that is fainter than a typical supernova and does not destroy the star.
Water is 'designer fluid' that helps proteins change shape, scientists say
Ubiquitous on Earth, water also has been found in comets, on Mars and in molecular clouds in interstellar space. Now, scientists say this common fluid is not as well understood as we thought.
Meteorites delivered the 'seeds' of Earth's left-hand life
Flash back three or four billion years - Earth is a hot, dry and lifeless place. All is still. Without warning, a meteor slams into the desert plains at over ten thousand miles per hour. With it, this violent collision may have planted the chemical seeds of life on Earth.
Cool spacedust survey goes into orbit
University of Nottingham astronomers will be studying icy cosmic dust millions of light years away - using the biggest space telescope ever built.
Physicists uncover new solution for cosmic collisions
It turns out that our math teachers were right: being able to solve problems without a calculator does come in handy in the "real" world.
Bonn astronomers simulate life and death in the universe
Stars always evolve in the universe in large groups, known as clusters. Astronomers distinguish these formations by their age and size. The question of how star clusters are created from interstellar gas clouds and why they then develop in different ways has now been answered by researchers at the Argelander Institute for Astronomy at the University of Bonn with the aid of computer simulations.
More Interstellar Space Current Events and Interstellar Space News Articles
 |
Interstellar Space by John Coltrane John Coltrane's last recordings have a concentrated intensity and a pointed focus that give them the authority of a final testament. On Interstellar Space, recorded in February 1967 just a few months before his death, Coltrane reduced the idea of the group to its absolute minimum, a duo with drummer Rashied Ali. Without the fixed harmonic frame of reference provided by piano or bass, Coltrane takes each of his brief themes and submits it to extended testing--repeating, contracting, and expanding phrases until they melt into a new inspiration. These are performances of extraordinary technical achievement. Coltrane ranges over the tenor with a vibrato so tight it sounds like it might contort the horn, exploring incremental shifts in pitch and tone and bending notes from one... |
 |
Interstellar Space John Coltrane (Primary Contributor) |
 |
Gurps Space Atlas: A Compendium of Worlds for Interstellar Roleplaying (1) by Steve Jackson (Author), William A. Barton (Author) The Space Atlas is your guide to the 28 star systems of the Old Frontiers Sector. On the edge of the explored space, youll find the bazaars of Bollux, the rival religious fanatics of Bannar and Drayhoah, the carnivorous plants of Talisman ... adventures galore. Each world description includes a complete Planetary Record Sheet, with an overview of the whole star system and a detailed description of the planet itself, using the GURPS Space format ... planetary map, atmosphere and gravity, day and year length, population, government, resources, economy, biosphere and special features. Some worlds include specific descriptions and game statistics for people, animals, plants or vehicles found on that planet, Adventure suggestions are included for every world. The Space Atlas is designed to fit... |
 |
Interstellar Space by John Coltrane John Coltrane's last recordings have a concentrated intensity and a pointed focus that give them the authority of a final testament. On Interstellar Space, recorded in February 1967 just a few months before his death, Coltrane reduced the idea of the group to its absolute minimum, a duo with drummer Rashied Ali. Without the fixed harmonic frame of reference provided by piano or bass, Coltrane takes each of his brief themes and submits it to extended testing--repeating, contracting, and expanding phrases until they melt into a new inspiration. These are performances of extraordinary technical achievement. Coltrane ranges over the tenor with a vibrato so tight it sounds like it might contort the horn, exploring incremental shifts in pitch and tone and bending notes from one... |
 |
THE FINAL FRONTIER ART GALLERY PRESENTS AN OUTER SPACE MODERN ART PAINTING ENTITLED: INTERSTELLAR HARMONY by Artist: John Ocasio Part of my FINAL FRONTIERS SPACE SERIES paintings. The following painting comes to you unframed; it measures 20"w X 16"h and is painted on STRETCHED CANVAS. EVEN THOUGH IT HAS STAPLES ON THE EDGES IT CAN HANG AS IS - NO FRAME NEEDED - AS IT IS PAINTED ON THE EDGES. |
 |
First Man Into Space Starring: Marshall Thompson, Marla Landi, Bill Edwards, Robert Ayres, Bill Nagy Directed By: Robert Day Also With: John Croydon (Producer), Charles F. Vetter (Producer), Richard Gordon (Producer) |
|
UFO Files UFO Files include two videos: How Do UFO's Fly? and On the Trail of UFO'2 | |
 |
The Starflight Handbook: A Pioneer's Guide to Interstellar Travel (Wiley Science Editions) by Eugene F. Mallove (Author), Gregory L. Matloff (Author) The Starflight Handbook A Pioneer’s Guide to Interstellar Travel "The Starflight Handbook is an indispensable compendium of the many and varied methods for traversing the vast interstellar gulf—don’t leave the Solar System without it!" —Robert Forward "Very sensible, very complete and useful. Its good use of references and technical ‘sidebars’ adds to the book and allows the nontechnical text to be used by ordinary readers in an easy fashion. I certainly would recommend this book to anyone doing any thinking at all about interstellar flight or the notion of possibilities of contacts between hypothetical civilizations in different stat systems." —Louis Friedman Executive Director, The Planetary Society The Starflight Handbook is the first and only compendium on planet Earth... |
 |
Interstellar Space Revisited by Gregg & Nels Cline Bendian Using the legendary free-jazz summit by John Coltrane and Rashied Ali as an authentic sonic blueprint, guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Gregg Bendian trace the impetuous improvisation of Interstellar Space with startling skill and unbridled enthusiasm. While Cline's wildly expressive guitar playing approximates 'Trane's infamous "sheets-of-sound" saxophone stylings, it's actually Bendian's hyperkinetic drum excursions that propel this session into the outer regions of the jazz stratosphere. Thoughtfully embracing Coltrane's wide-open compositions like "Mars," "Leo," "Venus," and "Jupiter," Cline and Bendian explore the many creative options of their drum-guitar dyad. Recorded live and alternating between eminently peaceful passages and physically raucous interactions, the union of Cline... |
 |
UFO Afterlight by Altar, Cenega Mankind has been dealt a cruel blow. We have lost our homeworld. And yet, we are not defeated. Now, we fight for the survival of our race. Now, we fight to conquer a new home for mankind planet Mars. Take command of the UFO: Afterlight task force. The base camp on the surface of Mars is self-sustainable, providing oxygenated air, water and nutrients. Mars is a barren planet, a wasteland of dust and rock. If mankind is to survive, Mars must be tamed. Squad based tactical action and global strategy take centre stage as you manage resources, research advanced technologies and control elite ground troops to secure a new future for humanity. Embarking upon areas of research is of paramount importance. New and unexpected enemies appear in the form of sentient robots, built centuries ago by... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |